The present invention relates to a folded paper board device for holding articles such as compact discs.
Compact discs, which are commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cCD""sxe2x80x9d are generally well known in the art. Standard CD""s having a nominal diameter of about four and three quarters (4xc2xe) inches are commonly used to store prerecorded music, prerecorded video, and data for reading by a computer. Due to technical advances, a CD can store an incredible amount of data and thus CD""s are greatly preferred over other storage mediums, such as magnetic recording tape.
It is well known that CD""s are commonly employed as a convenient medium for storing computer software, and, owing to the capacity of CD""s to store such great amounts of data, CD""s are commonly employed to store all of the data necessary for a wide variety of applications. For example, CD""s are often used to store data for entire sets of encyclopedias, dictionaries, legal treatises, legal reporters, maps, games, etc., not to mention to store music for CD players and video/audio for DVD players. Many other applications are also well known.
Owing to the advances in technology that have given rise to the proliferation of CD""s as a storage medium, the purveyors of the above-described items, such as book and magazine publishers, music companies, video companies, software companies, and internet-related service providers and search engines now frequently mail their goods on CD""s directly to consumers. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for cost-effective yet secure packaging in which to mail CD""s to the end user.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a device for carrying a compact disc having a central aperture comprises a blank formed from a single piece of paper board stock, with the blank including a generally rectangular portion having a plurality of fold lines dividing the blank into a plurality of sections. At least one of the sections is foldable along a fold line to a closed position in which the one section forms with an adjacent section an enclosure. A hub formed in the one section, with the hub including a pair of members. Each member includes an outer portion sized to extend through the compact disc aperture, and each member is shiftable between an unfolded position in which the member is disposed in the plane of the one section, to a first folded position in which the member outer portion is folded along a first fold line and positioned to extend through the compact disc aperture. Each member is further shiftable to a second folded position in which the outer portion is foldable along a second fold line, with the second fold line being spaced away from the first fold line by a distance generally equivalent to the thickness of the compact disc. Thus, upon shifting the members to the first folded position a compact disc may be placed adjacent the one section, and upon shifting the members to the second folded position and folding the sections to the closed position a compact disc may be secured in the enclosure.
In preferred embodiment, each member may be sized to engage a portion of the compact disc aperture so that second fold line is formed in part upon folding each member from the first folded position toward the second folded position after placement of the compact disc adjacent the one section. The compact disc aperture may a circular inner edge, and each member may include a root section sized to engage the inner edge. The compact disc aperture may measure about 1.5 centimeters in diameter, and the root section of each member may measure about 1.1 centimeters. Alternatively, the root section of each member may measure about seventy five percent of the diameter of the aperture in the compact disc.
Preferably, each of the members may be defined in part by one or more score lines formed in the one section, with the one or more score lines generally circumscribing the outer portion of each member. Each score line will define a frangible connection. Preferably, each member includes a tip, and the one section may include an aperture formed adjacent each tip, with the aperture being sized to permit grasping of the member tip by a user.
The device may further include a protruding tab formed on one of the sections. Another one of the sections may include a slot positioned for engagement by the tab when the device is folded, thereby providing at least one manner by which to secure the device in a folded position. Other means carried by at least one of the sections may be provided for maintaining the sections in the closed position.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a hub device is provided for securing a compact disc having a central aperture to a generally planar surface, with the hub device comprising a paperboard section having a plurality of score lines formed therein. The score lines define a pair of members and a generally planar base, with each of the members including an outer portion sized to extend through the compact disc aperture. Each of the members is shiftable between an unfolded position, in which each member is disposed in the plane of the base, to a first deflected position in which the outer portion of each of the members is deflected along a first line and positioned to extend through the compact disc aperture. Each of the members further is shiftable to a second deflected position, in which the outer portion is deflected along a second line, with the second line being spaced away from the first line by a distance generally equivalent to the thickness of the compact disc, with members being adapted to secure the compact disc against movement when the members are in the second deflected position. Means, carried by the base, are provided for securing the section to the planar surface.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a hub device is provided for securing a compact disc having a central aperture to a generally planar surface. The hub device comprises a paperboard section having a plurality of score lines formed therein, with the score lines defining in part a pair of members and a generally planar base. Each of the members includes an outer portion sized to extend through the compact disc aperture. Each member further is foldable between an unfolded position, in which the member is disposed in the plane of the base, to a first folded position, in which the member outer portion is deflected along a first fold line and is positioned to extend through the compact disc aperture, and a second folded position, in which the outer portion is folded along a second fold line. The second fold line is spaced away from the first line by a distance generally equivalent to the thickness of the compact disc. With a compact disc placed adjacent the section, the members are adapted to secure the compact disc against movement when the members are shifted to the second deflected position. Means, carried by the base, are provided for securing the section to the planar surface.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a device is provided for carrying a plurality of compact discs, with each of the compact discs having a central aperture. The device comprises a generally rectangular blank formed from a single piece of paper board stock, with the blank including a plurality of fold lines dividing the blank into a first set of sections and a second set of sections. Each of the sections in the first set is foldable along at least one fold line to a folded position such that, when the sections of the first set are in the folded position, the at least one section of the first set and the at least one section of the second set form an enclosure or space sized to receive therein one of the compact discs. A hub is formed in each of the sections of the first set, with each hub including a pair of members. Each of the members includes an outer portion sized to extend through the compact disc aperture, and each of the members is shiftable between an unfolded position, in which the member is disposed in the plane of its corresponding section, to a first folded position, in which the member outer portion is folded along a first fold line and positioned to extend through the compact disc aperture, and further to a second folded position, in which the member outer portion is folded along a second fold line to secure one of the compact discs. The second fold line may be spaced away from the first fold line by a distance generally equivalent to the thickness of one of the compact discs. Thus, upon shifting the members to the first folded position, a compact disc may be placed adjacent each of the sections of the first set. Further, upon shifting the members to the second folded position, the compact disc may be secured to its corresponding section. Then, upon folding the sections to the folded position the compact discs may be secured in their respective enclosures.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, a method of forming a compact disc carrier comprises the steps of forming a paperboard blank having a plurality of fold lines dividing the blank into a plurality of sections, forming in at least one of the sections a hub, with the hub having a pair of deflectable members foldable to a first position, in which the members are positioned to receive the compact disc, and a second position, in which the members are positioned to retain the compact disc adjacent the one section. The method includes the steps of forming an enclosure by folding the one section along a fold line to a folded position disposed parallel to an adjacent section, and then securing the sections in the folded position.